Cinnamon Maple Cool Whip Cookie Sandwiches

NOTE: This is a tandem post; Audrey's commentary is left-aligned,  Molly's is right-aligned and italicized.

With two bakers in the house, conversation in our family often veers towards food. And when it does, we come up with our best ideas. This recipe is one of those great ideas- the outcome of our mutual brainstorm during a random conversation that I can't even remember getting started. It just happened. It was meant to be. It was magical.

Some might even say...fate.

It went something like:
"We should put cinnamon in the New York Times chocolate chip cookie dough."
"Oh and why not put some cinnamon chips in it too"
"And let's make them cool whip sandwiches with maple extract in the cool whip." (#definitelyhowithappened)

Things escalate quickly when Audrey and I start brainstorming recipes. You may have noticed.

So maybe that's not exactly what happened. But it was something like that. With a long moment of silence at the end where we basked in the wonder of our combined brain power and sat in anticipation of how they would taste. There might have been a little mourning over our current jean sizes.

I have gone over how great Cool Whip cookie sandwiches are- they are better than ice cream sandwiches. You get the same combination of flavors but it's just a little bit lighter. Because I mean come on you're already eating two cookies maybe you could stand to cool it a little on the filling. (Pun most certainly intended.)

They also become less of a melty mess when they start to assume room temperature, making them much easier to eat.

(I didn't actually take that bite. That was my brother. He then ate the whole thing. He had like five of these alone, so you can tell they're good. They have his seal of approval.)

Molly came up with the idea to mix maple extract into the Cool Whip because she mixed some into some vanilla ice cream and it turned out wonderfully. The maple isn't too overwhelming, it's a nice subtle-but-strong-enough-that-you-can-tell-it's-there-and-it's-not-just-hiding-out-in-the-corner. If the maple flavor were a person it would be right in the middle between loudest person in the room and wallflower. An average person. Just like you and me. (Probably. I mean, I don't know you. You could be either of those two. In which case, keep on keepin' on, and go make these anyways.)

I would describe the maple flavor's party persona as the centerpiece bouquet. As Audrey said, it's not a wallflower nor is it the life of the party, but it still catches everyone's attention in an unassuming but irresistible way.

What really brings this whole shebang together is the cinnamon chips. They are wonderful little pockets of extra cinnamon-y-ness that brighten up each bite. I could just ate them plain. 

Now I know it's December already, so it's officially Christmas season. And you're probably already going through all those Christmas recipes you've saved up for a while and you think you're all cinnamon and pumpkin-ed out. But fall only comes once a year, and soon you may be missing all those yummy flavors that accompany it.

Besides, it's not OFFICIALLY winter until December 21st, no matter what the snow on the ground has to say about it.

So why don't you make these and give one last little hoo-rah for fall before jumping headfirst into all those Christmas baked goods you have planned? I promise they'll disappear quickly ;)

Think of them as a warm up for Christmas cookie season. You've got to stretch out those waist bands limber up those cookie-eating muscles somehow, don't you?

-Audrey

- Molly

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Cinnamon Maple Cool Whip Cookie Sandwiches

Cookie Ingredients:
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 2/3 cups bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate chips

Cool Whip Filling Ingredients:
3 cups Cool Whip
1 tablespoon maple extract

Directions:
1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about
5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop cinnamon chips in. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.

5. Freeze cookies for two hours. Meanwhile, stir together the cool whip and maple extract, until you have the desired flavor. Spread copious amounts of cool whip onto one and sandwich them together. Freeze for an hour or longer. Then eat!